All I Want For Christmas Is Completions And Connections
by sandie.eggo
Summary: A holiday fic for my favorite Inception pairing. Based on the song, "Christmas Wrapping", by The Waitresses.
1. Winter

**Author's Greeting:** Hello! Happy Holidays! I come bearing a short Christmas fic that will be posted in 5 parts. Ever since the first Christmas season that Inception came out I've been wanting to write a Christmas inspired fic. Well, 3 years later and here it is. It's inspired by one of my favorite modern Christmas songs by The Waitresses, _Christmas Wrapping._ If you haven't heard it, see my profile for a link to the video and lyrics. I enjoyed listening to it all throughout the writing process (I finished this fic this past spring ;) and I hope you enjoy it too.

**Full Title: **All I Want For Christmas Is Completions And Connections

**Rating:** PG-13

**Disclaimers:** I do not own Inception, it's characters, or the song _Christmas Wrapping_.

* * *

**Winter**

The warmth of the ski shop is a welcome change for Ariadne, but perhaps more so is the prospect of being able to remain upright for a length of time. Despite her friends' reassurances that everyone falls that much their first time, she has quickly discovered, by way of a sore ass, that snowboarding is not for everyone.

"You may want to try some ice on that."

Ariadne freezes at the sound of a male voice next to her. She thought she had been surreptitious in her ministrations to her behind, but by the very amused look on the stranger's face, she was not.

"Oh, I didn't see you there." The words are out of her mouth before she realizes the stupidity of them.

The handsome stranger continues to smile and thankfully doesn't remark on her inane comment. "Let me guess, first time snowboarding?" he asks.

"Uh, yeah," she responds, sheepishly. "How did you know?"

"The inappropriate public touching you were doing to yourself just a moment ago—you didn't look like you were enjoying it."

Her mouth drops open at his audacity. "That wasn't inappropriate! My ass…I hurt myself," she corrects.

"Snowboarding, right?"

"Yeah, but how did you—"

"I saw the tiny, beat-up rental snowboard outside the shop. Only beginners use those."

"That appropriate-size adult snowboard could belong to anybody in here." Ariadne takes a quick look around the shop, hoping to find another customer of small stature as herself. All she sees are two other men, both inconveniently tall. "Well, okay, it's mine."

The attractive stranger gives her concession a dimpled smile. "I didn't mean to embarrass you. It's just that you caught me a little off-guard. I usually know a girl's name first before she starts rubbing herself in front of me."

She raises her brow at that comment, but presses her lips together to prevent herself from making a smart-ass remark, or worse, laughing. The two other men in the shop however, do not contain their amusement. They start snickering and Ariadne thinks she hears one of them say, 'smooth.'

"Do you know those guys?" she asks when the stranger frowns at them.

"No," he answers quickly. "Just ignore them."

Ariadne sees them look up when they're mentioned and she notices that they are both good-looking, in their own ways. One of the guys has a dark complexion with unruly, curly hair that her fingers itch to touch. The other is a dark blond who gives her a smile that can only be described as cheeky.

"Are you sure you don't know them? They keep looking at us."

"I—"

"C'mon, Arthur! She isn't interested and we have to go."

The stranger's—Arthur's—ears turn pink when the blond with the British accent calls him out. "Actually, I do know them," he concedes. "That's Eames."

"You coming, Arthur?" the dark-haired one yells out, halfway out the shop door.

"Yeah, just give me a minute." He turns back to her. "And that's Yusuf."

"You have interesting friends. I'm Ariadne." She sticks her hand out for him to shake. "And now you know my name."

"It's nice to meet you, Ariadne." He smiles, holding onto her a little longer than necessary. She's surprised to feel a loss of connection when he does release her.

"Arthur! Let's go!" Eames shakes his head toward the door and steps out.

"Uh, I have to go."

She smiles. "I know, I heard."

Arthur laughs. "Yeah. I guess you did." He stands there a couple more seconds, as if he has more to say. "Take care of your…injury."

"Thanks, I will."

He gives her a quick smile and heads to the door.

He stops short of opening it.

Automatically, she reaches for the business card he hands her. "On the off chance that I may have impressed you within the last few minutes." He gives her another dimpled smile.

His name and a phone number are listed on the card, but no other business information appears on it. "Is this a staircase?" she asks, examining it more closely.

"It's a Penrose staircase," he clarifies for her on his way to the door.

"Is it your company logo?"

"Something like that." With one last parting smile, he leaves.

Ariadne takes another look at the card, a smile of her own forming.

* * *

Outside the ski shop, Arthur joins his friends.

"Well?" Yusuf asks, handing Arthur his snowboard. "What happened with the girl?"

"What do you think happened?" Eames wraps his arm around Arthur's shoulders, quipping, "He tried to pull and she pushed."

Arthur shrugs his arm off and starts walking towards the ski lift. "I gave her my number."

"You did? She going to call you?"

Arthur turns back to eye the ski shop. "I don't know." He continues walking up the hill. "But it's worth a shot."

* * *

**Author's note:** Well, what do you think? As you read along, and if you've listened to the song, which I highly recommend, you'll notice I'm following along with the songs storyline. Next up, Spring.


	2. Spring

**Author's Greeting:** And here we go!

**Rating:** PG-13

**Disclaimers**: I do not own Inception, its characters, or the song _Christmas Wrapping_.

* * *

**Spring**

There's a cool nip in the air when Ariadne and her roommate, Mal, leave the coffee shop with their matching triple shot caramel macchiatos and architectural design books in hand. The two friends hurriedly make their way through the busy city to their next class.

"We're going to be late—oh, excuse me!" Mal apologizes to the woman she bumps into. "We shouldn't have stopped to get coffee."

Ariadne muscles her way between a pair of well-dressed businessmen. "Speak for yourself. If they would have let me, I would have injected the caffeine directly into my veins."

They're able to catch their breath and take sips of their drinks when they stop to wait at a crosswalk.

"Why are you so tired?" Mal asks. "Didn't you go to bed early last night?"

Ariadne takes another gulp of her coffee before answering. "I couldn't sleep."

"Was Mrs. Goldfarb's dog keeping you up again?"

"No, not Mrs. Goldfarb's dog."

Mal gasps when Ariadne averts her eyes. "You—you heard me and Dom last night?" A slight blush creeps up Mal's cheeks. "Oh, god, I'm so sorry. We didn't think—we were trying—"

"Don't apologize for being in a relationship. Besides, it gave me a few ideas on creative ways to improve building reinforcements and sound proofing." Ariadne smiles over the top of her drink.

Mal grimaces.

"I think your noisy sex may get me an A in structural design."

Mal ignores her levity and stares at the other side of the street before she confesses, "I really like Dom. He's so different from other guys I've dated."

"All around nice guy, handsome, smart, good sense of humor, looks you in the eyes when he talk to you," Ariadne ticks off points on her fingers. "Yeah, I'd say you hit the boyfriend jackpot."

"Speaking of jackpot," Mal gestures to the group of pedestrians on the other side of the street, waiting to cross. "That really hot guy over there is checking you out."

"What guy?" Ariadne asks as the light flashes and the gathered crowd makes their way across.

"Ariadne?"

Ariadne stops short, surprised and instantly happy to see the well-dressed man before her.

"Arthur, from the ski shop," he needlessly identifies himself.

"I remember you, Arthur." She can't stop the smile forming on her face if she tried. "What are you doing here?" She admires his expensive-looking shoes, well-tailored suit, immaculate hair, and mesmerizing dimples.

"I'm working. Actually, I'm meeting with a client. What about you?" Arthur follows her out of the street when hurried pedestrians begin to jostle them.

"We're just on our way to class. This is my roommate...uh…"

"Hi, Arthur. I'm Mallorie," Mal finishes, when Ariadne blanks on her friend's name. "Call me Mal."

Arthur gives her a friendly smile. "Nice to meet you, Mal."

"Same here. Ariadne, I'll see you…later?" The brunette raises her brows in a knowing way before waving goodbye.

Ariadne watches her leave before turning back to Arthur. He's looking at her intently and quickly smiles when she looks at him.

"You're studying architecture?" he asks, a hint of excitement in his voice as he points to her books. "Are you planning on becoming an architect?"

"Yeah, hopefully. I'm actually on my way to my structural design class."

"Oh."

There's an awkward moment of pause, neither one quite knowing what to say next.

"I guess I shouldn't keep you. It was good seeing you again."

"Arthur?" His departure is so sudden it takes Ariadne a moment to gather her senses. She's still not sure what to say. All she knows is she isn't ready for him to walk away. "Do you want to, uh…have lunch with me…sometime?"

She discovers herself holding her breath for a couple of seconds before a smile erupts from his face and he walks back to her.

"I'd love to." By silent agreement, he starts walking her to class.

"Don't you have to meet with your client?" she asks, secretly glad when he tells her he's in no rush.

They continue for a couple of blocks, both trying to determine a time they will both be free for lunch. Sadly, their schedules will not compromise. She was going to be busy with classes and work. He was going to be leaving town for business.

They are both disappointed by the time they reach Ariadne's class.

"I guess lunch isn't meant to be." Arthur gives her a wry smile.

"That doesn't mean we can't keep in touch," she tells him, not yet ready to give up. "Maybe we can get together when you get back—if you want."

"Yeah. Yeah, I'd like that." He looks as relieved as she feels at her suggestion.

Smiling, she pulls out her notebook. A slight blush runs up her cheeks when she flips through several pages with Penrose steps doodles. She looks up to see if he saw them. The smile on his face confirms he did.

"Here's my number," she hands him a Penrose staircase-free page with her number. "Give me a call when you're free. Or whenever," she shrugs.

"I'll call you as soon as I'm back in town."

She doesn't say anything, just nods, knowing the grin on her face says everything.

"I should go," he tells her with an answering smile. "I'll see you later."

"Yeah. Have a safe trip."

* * *

"It's about time! Where have you been? The client's waiting." Eames rushes over to Arthur. "Why are you grinning like that?"

"Remember that girl I met in the ski shop?" Arthur thanks Yusuf for the file he hands him.

"No."

Yusuf rolls his eyes. "Yeah, I remember her. The one that's worth a shot."

Arthur grins, straightening his suit before marching into the client's office. "She still is."

* * *

**Author's Note:** I just realized that as we go through the seasons, this fic isn't too Christmas-y. Well, it will get there in the end!


	3. Summer

**Author's Greeting:** The Summer section is up which is kind of appropriate where I'm at because it feels more like summer than fall/winter.

**Rating:** PG-13

**Disclaimers**: I do not own Inception, its characters, or the song _Christmas Wrapping_.

* * *

**Summer**

Ariadne slowly shifts to find a more comfortable sitting position. She quickly finds the task impossible and lets out a hiss of pain when the skin between her shoulder blades stretches.

Sunburns are the worst.

"Maybe some ice would help."

The voice on the phone is all concern, but Ariadne can't help laugh, valiantly ignoring the stinging pain her mirth causes to the skin over her abdomen. "You've told me that before. Is that your solution to everything?"

She can hear the smile in Arthur's voice when he answers back, "In your case, yeah."

She laughs again, her humor this time ending in a groan. "Don't make me laugh."

"Okay, I'll try not to be amusing. But that means you'll have to pick up the slack."

Ariadne secretly smiles, forgetting that her face did not escape over-exposure. "I'll try my best."

"Good. Why don't you start by telling me why you thought it'd be a good idea turning yourself into a lobster before our lunch date."

Ariadne hesitates, embarrassed. "Would you believe me if I said I misunderstood what 'we're having lobster for lunch' meant?"

"That sounds plausible."

"Really?"

"No, not even remotely," Arthur laughs before sobering. "I was really looking forward to…having lunch with you."

"Yeah. Me too." With a sigh, she confesses, "Believe it or not, I didn't plan on burning myself to a crisp."

"That's good to know."

"But my state of overdone is your fault."

"Really? Care to explain?"

Ariadne takes a moment to picture the confusion on Arthur's face before responding. "It's just…well, who asks a girl to take a ride on his yacht for lobster and caviar on their first date?"

"Okay, first of all, I never said anything about caviar, and second, it's not my yacht. It belongs to a client of mine. Mr. Saito let me borrow it for the weekend. Well, not just me. Eames and Yusuf as well. They're probably getting pulled over by the Coast Guard right now for reckless driving. Or would it be reckless sailing?"

"You're not with them?"

The silence on the other end drags on for so long Ariadne thinks they may have gotten disconnected. But then she hears a reluctant sigh and Arthur admits, "No, I…I get seasick."

"You do?" Ariadne pays for the frown of confusion and hisses in discomfort. "Then why did you—"

"I was trying to impress you. You know, a yacht, the Hamptons. Lobster."

"But you would have gotten seasick."

"I was prepared. I got a transdermal patch from my doctor." He laughs humorlessly over the phone. "Hearing it out loud, I didn't realize how pathetic this all sounds."

The thought that Arthur would have sacrificed his stomach contents just to show her a good time may have made her laugh if she weren't in an equally pathetic position.

"Not as pathetic as trying to get a nice tan going so you wouldn't look like a ghost wearing a bikini."

"You were going to wear a bikini?"

"Under my clothes, yeah. But now I just look like a lobster in a bikini. Pretty pathetic, huh?"

"No, not pathetic at all. At least, if what I'm imagining is anything to go by."

"What are you imagining?"

"You in an itsy bitsy teeny weeny yellow polka-dot bikini."

"Arthur!"

"Sorry," he laughs, unapologetically. "You paint a very vivid picture."

"I haven't painted anything. Your imagination's the only thing painting vivid pictures, otherwise you wouldn't be so impressed."

"You're wrong about that. I don't need to use my imagination to be impressed."

Ariadne feels a warmth radiate from her neck that has nothing to do with her sunburn. "Oh, well now I don't have anything clever to say. And that is entirely your fault."

Once more, she can hear the grin in his voice. "I'm not sorry about that. And look, you don't have to say anything. You're right. I should have just asked you out to a normal lunch, one that doesn't involve me undergoing medication or having you risk your skin's health. Maybe then I would have gotten the chance to see you before I have to leave town again."

Ariadne swallows her disappointment. With Arthur's leaving town for work in a couple of days and Ariadne starting her internship in a few weeks, it seems like there will never be a good time to connect. "Maybe it's just as well. We're both just so busy, I don't know that we'll ever get our schedules to sync."

"I'd like to keep trying." His quiet words are like a welcome salve.

Ariadne smiles and relaxes in her chair, finally finding a tolerable position. "So would I. And you know, in the meantime, talking over the phone isn't so bad. I really like the sound of your voice. I think I can listen to it all day."

He laughs. "You're not going to ask me to read the dictionary to you, are you?"

"No, but you know what I would like to hear? What is the significance of that Penrose staircase on your business card?"

"Ah, you're curious about that?"

"Yes! I'm very curious." About you, she adds to herself.

"I like curiosity. It's good for the mind."

"But not for the cat."

"No, not cats. But maybe for lobsters in itsy bitsy teeny weenie yellow polka-dot bikinis?"

Ariadne laughs, the pain from her sunburn seeming to fade away. "I've never owned anything itsy bitsy or teeny weenie so stop trying to picture me in a bikini."

"Okay, what should I picture you in then?"

"You shouldn't be picturing me in anything." It takes her a brief moment to realize what she just said, turning her red for another reason entirely. "I mean—"

Arthur laughs. "How about I picture you on a Penrose staircase?"

"What?"

"I'm picturing you and me on a Penrose staircase."

"What are you talking about?"

She can picture his smile before he asks, "Have you ever heard of paradoxical architecture?"

* * *

Author's Note: I'm posting another section at the end of the week to coincide with the last part being posting right before Christmas. Enjoy!


	4. Fall

**Author's Greeting:** As promised, the next part, Fall. One more to go. I hope you're all enjoying your holidays!

**Rating:** PG-13

**Disclaimers**: I do not own Inception, its characters, or the song _Christmas Wrapping_.

* * *

**Fall**

It's hard for Ariadne to hide her disappointment on the video chat window when Arthur tells her he's stuck at his parents' house in the suburbs and is not going to be able to take her to the Halloween party. She had been looking forward to going with him since he asked her nearly three weeks earlier.

"I'm really sorry, Ariadne. My car won't start. My dad's looking into it, but it's not looking good."

"That's okay, I understand." She gives him a small smile. "I heard Batmobiles aren't really reliable vehicles."

The Batman cowl he's wearing covers half of his face, but thankfully not his dimpled smile. "Are you really okay we're not going? Eames and Yusuf are already there and from the drunken texts messages they've sent me, it sounds like a good party. If you want, I can give you the address and you can meet up with them."

"No, that's alright. Besides, it wouldn't be nearly as fun without you there. We can't have a Catwoman without a Batman."

"Yeah, speaking of Catwoman…your costume…"

"Oh, you didn't get to see it, did you?" Ariadne stands back from her laptop's camera to get a full shot of herself in the video chat frame. "What do you think?" She turns in a circle to give him the full effect of her multi-cat emblazoned sweater and the basket of cat stuffed animals she's holding. "What?" she asks when he frowns.

"It's...creative. But aren't you worried that some people may confuse you for a crazy cat lady?"

"How could they? I'm wearing the eye mask. And the cat ears. And you're Batman!"

He smiles at her insistence. "You're right. No one would have mistaken us for anything but Batman and Catwoman. I love the cat ears, by the way."

"Thanks. Now, your turn. Stand up and show me your full costume." Ariadne eagerly watches her laptop screen as Arthur obeys and holds out his black cape to give her the full effect of his dark knight outfit.

"Wow. You look…" Hot. Sexy. Delicious. "…great." Unlike her, Arthur didn't have anything against dressing sexy for Halloween and for that Ariadne is secretly grateful. "I don't think Batman has ever looked so good."

"Thanks, but I hope you don't mind interacting with me instead of the masked crusader." Arthur removes the cowl, mussing his hair in the process. "It's getting a bit stuffy in this thing." The snug-fitting mask has also left red trace-mark patterns around his face, making him look more like a little boy playing pretend than a grown man fighting crime.

"I prefer it, actually. I'd rather talk to a real person than a comic book hero."

"Batman is real. In the hearts of many little boys and girls, Batman is real."

"And in the hearts of the big boys, too?" Ariadne asks, smiling at his sincerity.

"Absolutely," he responds, giving her his most charmingly boyish smile and making her laugh.

"Arthur? Are you in here?" Ariadne hears the feminine voice call Arthur's name, and watches as Arthur turns when a woman enters the room. "You're not looking at porn are you?"

"What! No! Mom!"

The older woman peers into the computer screen. Highly amused, Ariadne smiles and waves hello.

"Mom, this is Ariadne. Ariadne, this is my mom."

"It's nice to meet you, Mrs. Green."

"Oh, Ariadne! Hello, it's nice to meet you, too. I'm so glad you're not porn."

"Mom!"

Ariadne is glad Arthur took off the cowl or else she would have missed the tips of Arthur's ears turning pink. "No, no porn here. Just a girl in her Catwoman costume."

"You're Catwoman?" She moves in closer to the monitor to get a better view, displacing Arthur a bit. "Oh, of course. Arthur is always Batman, so that makes sense. He's dressed up as Batman for Halloween every year since he was four years old."

"Mom, she doesn't need to—"

"Really, every year since he was four?" Ariadne ignores Arthur's consternation and continues to engage his mother.

"Yes. His father and I would ask him every year what he wanted to be for Halloween, and always, every year it would be Batman. Well, except for one year. The year Robin died."

"Oh, I'm sorry. Who's Robin?"

"He was our beagle. Arthur named him after Batman's little buddy. He died when Arthur was fifteen." His mother pauses and turns to Arthur. "Sweetheart, go get another chair so we can both sit down."

He looks like he wants to protest, but dutiful son that he is, gets the chair as requested as his mother sits in his vacated one. "Arthur would dress as Batman and Robin would dress as Robin. I made the cutest little costume for him. And they would go out trick-or-treating together. Robin even had a little doggy bag and some of the neighbors would give him dog treats. They were the most adorable little crime-fighting duo! Oh, and I have pictures! Would you like to see?"

Ariadne nods her head enthusiastically as Arthur returns with a chair. "Okay, I'll be right back." His mother leaves to locate their family albums.

"You're enjoying this, aren't you?"

A smile erupts on Ariadne's face. "You know I'm curious about everything. Why wouldn't I want to see pictures of baby Batman and his beloved Robin?"

"Mom'll probably show you a lot more than just the Halloween pictures."

"Oh, I'm counting on it." Ariadne laughs when Arthur tries to give her a menacing scowl; but the effect isn't the same without the Batman mask.

"You better be careful Ms. Kyle. Didn't you hear? Curiosity killed the cat."

She pauses, almost ashamed at how arousing his words sound when paired with a deepening of his voice and its gravely edge.

It spurs her to give her best sultry, seductive purr. "But don't you know? I'm Catwoman. I'm adaptable." Even with the mediocre video quality, Ariadne can see the arousing effect her words have on Arthur.

"Would you think it completely inappropriate of me if I ask you to say my name in that voice?"

She gives him a pleased, gamine smile. "You like that?"

"Oh, yeah."

"Arthur! Is that porn?"

Arthur jumps at the sound of his father's voice. "No! Dad! I'm chatting with my friend."

Arthur's father peers into the monitor and once again Ariadne waves hello before asking Arthur, "Do you watch a lot of porn or something?"

"No, my parents caught me once when I was in high school. It was a very traumatic experience."

"For his mother and me, too," Arthur's dad adds.

Arthur bows his head in embarrassment. "Ariadne, this is my dad. Dad, Ariadne."

"Hi, Mr. Green."

"Hello, Ari…adne. Did I get that right?"

"Perfect."

His father smiles proudly and for a brief moment Ariadne is able to see into the future as a familiar dimple peeks out of one cheek.

"Any luck with the car, dad?"

"No," his father sighs, sitting down next to him. "Sorry, son."

Arthur's mom returns with a stack of albums in her arms. "Jerry, if you're going to join us, pull up another chair. I'm going to show Ariadne pictures of Arthur and Robin."

"Yes, dear."

When Arthur's dad moves away, Ariadne take the opportunity to say to Arthur, "You know, never in a million years would I ever guess that I'd spend Halloween video chatting with you and your parents and looking at your baby pictures."

"Yeah, this isn't exactly how I imagined us spending Halloween, either. If you'd rather just go, I'll understand. You can't be this interested in me."

Ariadne smiles as Arthur's parents each take a seat by his side. "No," she catches Arthur's eyes, "I am."


	5. Christmas Eve

**Author's Greeting:** Well here we are. Happy Christmas Eve! I want to thank all of you who read and commented on this fic. You guys are great!

**Rating:** PG-13

**Disclaimers:** I do not own Inception, it's characters, or the song _Christmas Wrapping_.

* * *

**Christmas Eve**

"Are you sure you don't want to come with us?" Dom asks as he helps Mal into her winter coat.

"Yes, come with us, Ariadne. Dom's family is very normal."

"Really? You think so?" Dom asks, brow furrowed.

Mal clucks her tongue before insisting, "His family is nice."

Sitting under a mound of covers on the couch and watching Dr. Seuss' How the Grinch Stole Christmas!, Ariadne looks up with a sniffle. It always gets to her when the Grinch's heart grows three sizes. "No, thanks. I'm good here."

Mal plops down on the couch and puts a comforting arm around her. "C'mon, Ariadne. You've run yourself ragged all month with all the shopping, decorating the apartment, baking Christmas cookies, making homemade presents, volunteering at the soup kitchen. It's Christmas Eve! Come with us."

"I'm looking forward to a nice, quiet evening. I don't have the energy for anything else." Ariadne looks into Mal's eyes, pleading for her friend to understand.

Mal gives her a hug before joining Dom. "Okay, but I'm leaving this here in case you change your mind." She writes down an address on a piece of paper. "You're welcome to join us at any time."

Knowing nothing short of some catastrophe could send her back outside in the nearly freezing cold, Ariadne smiles and wishes the pair a Merry Christmas.

But Mal was right; Ariadne had stretched herself thin this holiday season. And not just during her favorite holiday; the whole year felt like it passed by in a whirlwind blur. From school and her part-time job, and then on to graduating and starting a new internship—as well as the rest of life in-between—she rarely had any time for fun, let alone for herself.

Now, with the year almost at an end it seemed a good time to relax and unwind on her own terms. She meant what she said to Mal. She wanted a nice, quiet evening at home.

On the television, the Grinch carves the roast beast, reminding Ariadne she has her own roasting bird in the oven. Emerging from her warm cocoon, she makes her way to the oven to check on her turkey, clapping her hands eagerly when she finds it almost ready. With her appetite mounting, she putters around the little kitchen, listening to jazzy Christmas tunes and getting the rest of her dinner ready. Even though she planned on dining alone, she wasn't going to skip having a festive personal feast. In the next hour or so she dedicates herself to washing, peeling, chopping, and cooking. Her mini feast was not only going to taste delicious, but look like Christmas. Along with the turkey, she just finished whipping up creamy white mashed potatoes, her crunchy green bean casserole was just out of the oven, and her spicy red cranberry sauce would be ready in—

Ariadne opens her fridge to grab a nonexistent bag of cranberries.

"Oh, damn!"

Standing in the middle of her kitchen, Ariadne wrestles with the conundrum of whether it's worth it to brave the blistering cold temperature outside for a bag of cranberries.

After bundling up tight, Ariadne starts to question her decision as she trudges through five blocks of snow, pushes through a slightly menacing crowd at the only all-night grocery and grabs the next to last bag of cranberries. By the time she makes her way to the only check-out line she starts to feel a bit like the Grinch. Craning her head around, she counts the number of customers in line, gasping when she finally notices the guy in front of her.

"Arthur?" She tells herself not to be disappointed if the tall, dark-haired guy with the ears slightly sticking out in that adorable way isn't Arthur.

But it is.

"Ariadne!" Arthur gifts her with both of his dimples. "Hi. Merry Christmas."

She can feel her smile growing three sizes larger just seeing him there in his dark peacoat with plaid tie peeking out and his hair neatly combed. "Merry Christmas to you too—or not! I mean, happy Hanukkah! Or happy belated Hanukkah!" Ariadne shakes her head at her own awkwardness. "Hi. How are you?"

After exchanging the usual pleasantries and finding out his parents are vacationing in Hawaii, Ariadne notices the bottle he's holding.

"Oh, yeah." Arthur glances down at the cranberry juice as if he forgot he had it. "It goes well with vodka. Or so I'm told," he clarifies when Ariadne gives him a questioning look. "It's not for me, it's for Eames and Yusuf. They're having a pretty raucous Christmas party. They promise it's going to go on all night. You know, you should come."

His smile brightens and his eyes light up when he suggests this, making Ariadne believe he's not just asking to be nice. She hesitates however, torn between wanting to spend time with Arthur and wanting to spend a nice quiet evening at home. Why is she having such a hard time deciding between the two?

"I'd love to but...I've hit my quota of wild all-nighters for the year."

She gives Arthur a small smile to soften any sting, but he doesn't seem disappointed. "So have I. To be honest, I only volunteered to run this errand so I could leave the party for a little while."

They share an easy laugh before Ariadne further explains, "I kind of need a break; this year's been crazy. I'm not sure I can handle anything more than a quiet evening at home."

"I know what you mean. Work's kept me pretty busy this whole year. I've been out of the country so often it's nice just to be home and unwind. I'd probably be home now too if Eames and Yusuf hadn't insisted I come to their party."

Standing in line staring at each other, they both seem to reach a simultaneous and mutual understanding. Ariadne smiles, deciding to take a shot.

"I bet Eames and Yusuf haven't notice you've been gone this long."

Arthur nods slowly. "I'm sure they haven't. They were both drunk when I left so I don't think they've missed me."

Ariadne's smile widens. "You know, we never got the chance to get together and have lunch."

"Yeah, bad timing and all," Arthur agrees.

"The timing seems good now. Mal's with Dom's family tonight so it's just me and my mini Christmas feast of turkey, potatoes, and green beans." She holds up the bag of cranberries. "And now spicy cranberry sauce. Very low key. What do you say?"

They finally reach the front of the line and Arthur takes the bag of cranberries from her. He hands them to the cashier and tells him he's changed his mind about the juice.

"Well, it's not a lobster lunch on a yacht," his dimples peek out once again, "but it sounds perfect."

* * *

**Christmas Day, sometime after midnight**

"Ariadne's definition of a quiet evening and not having enough energy are different from mine," Dom comments as he waits for Mal to get into bed.

Mal smiles as she joins him. "I wonder who she's with."

Dom grins, listening to the muted voices in the next room, "From the sound of it, it's god—oof!"

Mal frowns after elbowing his side. "I am very curious! She hasn't been seeing anyone that I know—"

"Oh, Arthur! Yesyesyes—yes!"

The couple share a look after hearing Ariadne's impassioned exclamations.

"Of course, it's Arthur!" Mal grabs Dom's arm excitedly. "Good for them."

"Yeah, good for them." Dom grimaces when he hears muffled laughter from the other side of the shared bedroom wall. "But what about us? How can we sleep when that's going on next door?" Proving his point, they hear more indistinct moaning.

"We can't complain." Mal covers a yawn before snuggling closer to Dom. "This is what Ariadne puts up with us."

"Yeah, but we eventually go to sleep. They've been at it for a while and I'm not sure they're planning on stopping soon."

Mal rests her head on Dom's shoulder, soothing a hand over his chest. "Leave them alone. They have been chasing each other all year. Ever since they met when we went snowboarding last winter." A low masculine groan sounds through the wall. Mal smiles while Dom sighs. "They deserve to have some fun."

* * *

**Author's Note:** I hope you all enjoyed my little Christmas fic. And thank you again for all the kind comments, they really are appreciated. I also wanted to give guest commentor **Mimi** a special thank you for all the lovely comments you've recently left for this and my other fics. As for the suggestion of some smut in this last piece, what I've written will have to do. This is the last non-WIP I have for A/A. I'm still working on You Are The Risk I'll Always Take (the going is very slow because I'm stuck and low on inspiration) but if you and anyone else still reading/waiting, please continue to be patient, I can definitely promise you smut in the next chapter or two :)


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